Find out how popular the last name Carvalho is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Carvalho.

Carvalho, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Carvalho surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carvalho in America

Carvalho is the 3302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carvalho surname appeared 10,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Carvalho.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carvalho to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Carvalho

The surname Carvalho is of Portuguese origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "carvalho," which means "oak tree." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near an oak grove or in an area where oak trees were abundant.

The earliest recorded instances of the Carvalho surname can be found in medieval documents from the northern regions of Portugal, particularly in the area around the city of Porto. In these records, the name often appears in various spellings, such as "Carvallo," "Carvalhio," and "Carvalhão," reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Portuguese language over time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Carvalho surname was Rui de Carvalho, a 14th-century Portuguese nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors. He was born around 1320 and served as a commander under King Alfonso IV during the conquest of the Algarve region.

Another prominent individual with the Carvalho surname was Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, better known as the Marquis of Pombal, who lived from 1699 to 1782. He was a renowned Portuguese statesman and prime minister during the reign of King Joseph I. Pombal is credited with implementing significant reforms and modernizing Portugal during the Age of Enlightenment.

In the literary realm, Joaquim Machado de Carvalho, born in 1837 and better known by his pen name Júlio Dinis, was a notable Portuguese novelist and playwright. His works, such as "A Morgadinha dos Canaviais" and "As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor," are considered classics of Portuguese literature and provide insights into 19th-century Portuguese society.

The Carvalho surname is also associated with several place names in Portugal, such as Carvalho de Estarreja, a parish in the municipality of Aveiro, and Carvalho, a civil parish in the municipality of Murtosa. These place names likely originated from the presence of oak trees in those areas, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the oak tree.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning Camilo Castelo Branco, a prolific 19th-century Portuguese writer and novelist who was born in 1825 with the surname Carvalho but later changed it to Castelo Branco. His works, including "Amor de Perdição" and "Novelas do Minho," are considered masterpieces of Portuguese literature and have had a lasting impact on the country's cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carvalho

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Carvalho.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Carvalho was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Carvalho has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Carvalho was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Carvalho, please contact us.

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